Bittersweet Desire
by TEMPEST675
Summary: RoLo fic. I don't know if it'll end up needing an R rating or not, but best to be prepared, right? Please R/R! Work In Progress.
1. Prologue

~*~ Disclaimer ~*~ As much as I would like, I in no way fathomable own any of the X-men or anything that go with it. If I did, I definitely wouldn't be writing Fanfics. J 

~Heylo all, this is your friendly fanfic author here. I've been searching lately for RoLo (Ororo/Logan) pairings in fanfics and I've not found many. Since I've noticed that there are quite a few people out there that don't support this pairing, I figured that I'd give my reasonings for putting the two together. First, it seems to me that Logan is driven purely on emotions, while Ororo has to keep her emotions in constant check. In my opinion, Logan would want the control that Ororo has, and she would want the ability to cut loose that Logan has. It makes sense that this would draw them together, and then, they're great friends as it is. And lets face it, most of us out there have seen great friendships grow into something more. Anywhoo, this sort of follows the comics. As best as I can anyway. My fiancé has a lot of older ones and none of the most recent ones, so if something is out of place, you'll have to forgive me. Anyway, enjoy and please R/R!

Ororo Munroe sat in the library of the Westchester mansion of Charles Xavier, known to outsiders as the Xavier Institute of Higher Learning, and known to the residents as the home of the X-men. She sat gazing out a window at the beautiful view of the grounds; her cup of coffee forgotten and cold sat on the table before her. With everyone out for the day and no other activities, she allowed her thoughts to wander. A choice she was now beginning to regret. Her mind seemed to continually focus on her mistakes…and on Forge. She sighed softly as she gazed out at the beautiful sunny day. _Sometimes I am tempted to make the weather fit my mood, _she thought, _but it is not my place to ruin the small vacation they have earned._

"'Ro? Want some company?" a familiar gruff voice jolted her out of her reverie.

She turned to see the source of the voice, "Logan? I thought you had gone with the others."

He shrugged, "Wouldn'ta been any fun without ya."

She smiled and shook her head, "Come join me then, Logan. I would welcome the company."

He gave her a playful smirk, "I was gonna whether you invited me or not, darlin'."

She again shook her head as he sat down. She turned her gaze outside again and let out another sigh.

"What's on yer mind, 'Ro? You don't seem to be yourself today," Logan asked her.

"Just thinking about the past."

"Doesn't seem to be very many happy memories you're rememberin'."

"No…not many," she admitted.

"Listen, 'Ro, I've seen how lonely you've been since Forge left. At first I thought 'Eh, she's a big girl, she'll get over it.' But after all these years, you still think about him don'tcha?"

She nodded.

"If you need ta talk, I'm here for ya. You've been there enough for me, think I should return the favor."

"Thank you, Logan."

"Hey, anytime. You know I care about ya…"

She caught the odd tone in his voice and looked at him out of the corner of her eye, "In what way do you mean, Logan?"

"In all ways possible, 'Ro."

She stared at him, stunned for a moment, "Logan…I…"

He raised a hand to stop her, "You don't have to say anything right now, just think about it. Forge ain't the only one who can recognize a beautiful lady when she's around."

She watched after him as he got up and walked out without another word. _Goddess, what has brought that on?_ she thought. She turned to stare out the window again, but this time her thoughts were focused completely on Logan.

~You're friendly author again. That's all I got for the first chapter, I know it's short, but hey, it's the first X-men fic I've wrote and I want some reviews. If there's a demand on more, then I'll write more. J 


	2. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: As you probably know, I do not own the X-men in any way. Hell if I did, Wolvie and Stormy would have done been together by now.

~Hello all, here's the first official chapter of Bittersweet Desire. I hope you all enjoy it and please RnR!

Chapter 1

It had been three days since Logan had told Ororo how he had felt about her and she was still avoiding everyone. She stayed in her room and tended to her flowers as her mind raced around what he had told her.

_"Hey, anytime. You know I care about ya…" _he had said.

__

"In what way do you mean, Logan?"

"In all ways possible, 'Ro."

Ororo set down her pitcher of water, if she didn't stop she was going to drown her flowers. _Drown…Logan saved me once when I was going to drown._ Her mind drifted back to when Magneto had trapped her underwater. Logan had come down to cut her free and he had shared his breath with her. She'd teased him later about it being a sly way to steal a kiss. She had always felt at ease with him and she knew that she could always rely on him and trust him. It was a comforting thought that she had always taken for granted until now. _How long has he had those feelings for me? How long have I been mocking him by the way I take him for granted? Always talking and confiding in him about my thoughts of Forge… Goddess, please tell me what I should do._ She abandoned her plant care, there was nothing more she could do, and sat on her bed. She reached over to the bedside table and picked up a picture frame that held a photo of Forge. She felt a tear slip down her cheek as she gazed at it. _I still hold the hope that you will return for me. I am a fool. After all these years, I still can't let you go. I was going to say yes, Forge… I was going to say yes._ She laid her head in her hands and cried softly. She spent many nights this way since he had left.

Logan prowled around the grounds of the mansion in a fowl mood. He hadn't expected her to avoid him, not to mention everyone else, for this long. _Maybe I shoulda told her earlier…or later…hell maybe not at all. _A low growl came from his throat. _If I could get my hands on Forge…_ He continued to prowl, until he came to the danger room. A smirk grew on his face. _Maybe I can get my hands…not to mention, my claws, on Forge._ He took a few minutes to program what he wanted into the computer and then let out his claws with their trademark "snikt," and entered, locking the doors behind him. He crouched down, waiting for the computer to load and snarled as hundreds of Forges filled the room. For the next half an hour (he took his time), he gleefully slashed his claws along Forge's image, taking out one after another until he was left with an empty room and smoldering clothing. He walked out of the danger room feeling refreshed and not quite as frustrated. _'Bout time for a brew, I think,_ he thought, making his way up to the kitchen.

Ororo took a moment to compose herself and dry her eyes. She figured it was time she make an appearance before everyone came knocking at her door. She opened her door and slipped out, making her way to the kitchen, hoping for a fresh cup of coffee. She walked through the doorway and stopped in her tracks.

"Hey 'Ro, you doin' alright?" Logan asked her

"Oh, yes, of course. What about you, Logan? What has happened to your clothing?" she asked, eyeing his burnt remnants of a shirt.

"Danger room session, nothing special. Wanna beer?"

She immediately shook her head, "No, coffee for me, preferrably."

"Comin' right up, darlin'."

He turned and grabbed a cup from the cupboard and poured the coffee for her. She watched him, not realizing he knew how she liked her coffee. He handed it to her with a smile and a wink. She could not help but smile back.

"Thank you, Logan."

"Don't mention it, darlin'."

"Logan, about the other day. I…I have been thinking and…"

"Are ya sure yer ready to talk about this?"

"I need to. I cannot justify making you wait any longer. All this time since Forge left, I have held the hope, the belief that he would return for me. Your words yesterday have helped me realize that it is not going to happen that way. That realization had opened new wounds in my heart. Logan, you know that I care for you, that you are one of my dearest friends. I cannot in a good state of mind return any deeper feelings than those of a friend. It would not be fair to you, nor to me. I am sorry."

"'Ro, ya don't need to apologize. I shoulda kept my big mouth shut."

"No. I am glad that you told me, Logan. Perhaps I can begin to heal now. I can put Forge behind me."

He watched her closely as she spoke, he could see the moisture growing in her eyes and it was only a matter of time before those tears spilled over. A frown grew on his face as he thought of her crying. He knew that she spent many of her nights crying over Forge, she'd told him as much before. Somehow it was different now. She shouldn't have to cry over him, let alone cry alone. Why had he never been there for her before. With a new resolve, he reached out and grabbed her, pulling her up against him. He tightly wrapped his arms around her, ignoring her exclamation of surprise.

"If ya need ta cry, darlin', I'm here," he said, softly.

She stopped for a moment, staring straight ahead, then her shoulders began to shake. At first he thought she had been laughing, but he realized that she was crying. He held her tightly in his arms, whispering what he hoped where comforting things into her ear. After what seemed like an eternity, her tears subsided. She pulled back and began to wipe away her tears. Logan grabbed her hand and tenderly brushed away her tears.

"I should not have done that. I am sorry," she said, looking away from him.

"Darlin', that's something you've been needin' ta do since the bastard left ya."

She gave him a sharp look and he shrugged.

"I've got low opinions of him, darlin'."

She shook her head and let out a sigh, "It seems I have been thanking you a lot lately, Logan. I would like to repay you somehow."

He gave her a grin, "Ya could let me take ya out and get yer mind off yer troubles for a while."

She looked at him for a moment and broke out into a grin, unable to help herself, "Very well, then, Logan. It is a date."

~Well, that's the end of chapter 1. As always, the more reviews I get, the more inspired I am to write. Bye everybody!~


	3. Chapter 2

Disclaimer – I do not own the X-men in anyway. The lucky people at Marvel have that privilege… Dammit. I want them…

~Sorry you all had to wait all those precious minutes…not to mention days for the 3rd chapter. I hope you like it as much as the others. I had a bit of a tougher time with this one. 

Ororo and Logan had planned their outing for the next day and Logan had spent the rest of the day trying to find the perfect place to take her. He finally decided on the Greenburgh Nature Center, for their gardens. He knew how much Ororo loved plants and it had exhibits of flowers and plants from all over the world. He called ahead and pulled a few strings to arrange a private picnic for the two of them.

The next morning, Ororo awoke early, feeling more refreshed than she had in ages. She stretched and stayed lying in bed for a few more minutes before throwing off the covers. She swung her long, slender legs over the edge of her bed and stood, making her way to her bathroom. _I need a nice long, hot shower… Then I must get ready for my date, _she thought. _My first date with Logan._ She turned on the water and slipped out of her nightgown before stepping into the steaming water. Her thoughts focused on what the day might hold for her.

Logan had managed to have an almost peaceful night and woke relatively early, for him anyway. He got out of bed and lit a cigar, then put it out again mumbling to himself. _'Ro don't like those… I can do without for a day, _he thought and made his way to the bathroom to freshen up. He took a quick shower and threw on a pair of jeans and a plain white t-shirt. He made his way down to the kitchen and fixed himself a quick breakfast before making his way to the garage to work on his bike a little before his date. _I almost feel nervous. That's ridiculous, it's 'Ro! But…it's a date, and she knows how I feel. That makes it different. I hope she likes what I have planned,_ he thought.

After her shower, Ororo spent the rest of the morning trying to decide on an outfit. As her frustration grew, a light knock came at her door.

"Ororo? It's Jean. I thought you could use some help," the familiar voice came through the door.

She smiled and moved over to the door, opening it, "Thank you, Jean. I do not know what has gotten into me this morning, but I cannot seem to decide on an outfit."

"Are you nervous?"

"…No… Am I?"

Jean gave her a grin, "I think you are. After all, this is your first date since Forge. You have every right to be nervous. And Logan is a very handsome man."

Ororo smiled, "Yes, he is Jean. But you forget, I have been his confidante for a long time, as he has been mine. I have never thought of having a relationship with him. Now it seems that is all I can think about."

"Maybe that's a good sign. You deserve to be happy. You deserve someone who will treat you as good as I know Logan will."

"How do you know?"

"Because if he doesn't, he'll have to deal with me."

Ororo laughed and they began to sort through the clothing in her closet. Nearly an hour later, they finally decided on a suitable outfit that consisted of a knee-length floral skirt with a silken blouse. They pulled her lush, wavy, white hair up into a ponytail and Jean helped her with a little bit of makeup. 

"There, you're all ready to go," Jean told her with a wide smile, "How long until you are supposed to leave?"

Ororo checked her bedside clock, "Just over a half hour."

"You're still nervous, Miss Munroe."

Ororo laughed, "Not as much, thanks to you, Jean."

"Hey, what are friends for? Want to go show off before you go?"

"Oh, I was going to stay here and wait for Logan. I have some plant care to tend to."

"If you water those plants much more, you won't have them to water and you know it. Now come on, if you stay up here, you'll just get more nervous and I'm not going to let you chicken out."

"Very well, Jean. Let us go."

Jean took her downstairs and practically paraded her through the entire mansion causing a healthy blush to rise to Ororo's cheeks. Soon it was a parade as others joined walking behind them, full of questions. Ororo and Jean patiently answered their questions and laughed at the bewildered looks when they were told about Logan and Ororo's date. The rest of the time before the date, Ororo was assaulted with a mixture of jokes and congratulations. She mostly smiled and shook her head while keeping an eye out for Logan.

Logan checked the time and realizing he was going to be late if he didn't stop his work now, he got up and brushed himself off. _Good, didn't get dirty. Well, guess I go get my date,_ he thought, grinning to himself. He walked out of the garage and toward the stairs when he saw the crowd of people. 

"Hey, what's goin' on?" he called.

The scowl on his brow grew deeper as everyone turned to him with wide suggestive grins. He eyed them all and suddenly wished he had a cigar to chew on.

"What?" he finally asked.

"Logan?" he heard Ororo's voice from the center of the crowd.

He shook his head and motioned for everyone to move. They made a small pathway so he could see her and his breath caught in his throat. He stared at her for a few moments then cleared his throat and moved over to her, holding out his arm.

"Shall we, darlin'?" he asked.

"Definitely," she said, taking his arm and walking with him back toward the garage.

He could hear the snickering and whispering behind them as they walked away. He finally relaxed once they reached the garage and were alone. 

"You don't mind if we take my bike, do you?" he asked.

"Not at all, Logan."

"Oh, by the way, you look beautiful."

"Thank you," she moved closer to him and kissed his cheek.

He grinned for a moment, then grabbed a helmet and handed it to her, "Here ya go, darlin'."

"Thank you, so where are we going?"

"That's a surprise…"

~And (don't kill me) so is Chapter 3. Sorry all, I'm having a tad bit of a hard time getting some ideas, but I've been very motivated. Woohoo reviews. On that subject, thank you all for the reviews I really appreciate them, even the threats. ::winks:: Keep 'em comin' and I'll do my best to keep the chapters rollin' in.


	4. Chapter 3

~Hey all, well here comes chapter 3. I hope you like it as much as the others. It didn't take me long to write, it just kind of flowed from the pen. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own the X-men. Wish I did…if I ever found a magic lamp, I probably would, but that hasn't happened yet, so I don't.

Logan relished the feeling of Ororo's arms around his waist as they rode toward their destination. Everytime they took a turn, she grabbed on a bit tighter and soon he found himself making sudden lane changes along the way to get her to grip onto him. He smiled to himself and drove on.

Ororo smiled as she held onto Logan. She loved the feel of the wind rushing past her, but everytime he made a turn, she had the sensation of falling. She soon found herself pressed up against his back, gripping tightly to him. _He keeps doing that on purpose_, she thought with a soft smile.

After a while, they reached their destination and Ororo looked on with a pleased smile.

"Well, this is it, darlin'," he said to her, turning off the engine.

She smiled and got off the bike, "Greenburgh, I have never been here, but I have heard about it."

He got up and gave her a grin, "Well, I hope ya like it, beautiful."

"I am sure I will, Logan. I always enjoy my time with you."

He put an arm around her and led her up to the door, "Come on, darlin' and let me sweep ya off yer feet."

She laughed lightly and let him lead her on. They went in and spend half the day walking about the gardens with Ororo naming nearly all of the plants and flowers for Logan's benefit. He enjoyed it, listening to her musical voice and watching the radiant smile on her lips as she named the plants. Near the end of the day, they came to a sunny clear spot where a blanket and a basket set.

"Hungry, darlin'?" Logan asked with a mischievous grin.

That radiant smile sprang to her lips again, "Did you plan this, Logan?"

"Guilty as charged."

"Yes, I am a little hungry."

He grabbed her hand and took her to the blanket and let her sit down before he took his seat. He pulled the basked over to him and began to pull out an assortment of fruits.

"Oh, Logan, this is wonderful!"

"I thought you might like it."

"Very much," she said, eyeing the strawberries that lay before her.

"Well, dig in, darlin'."

She smiled and reached for a strawberry. Logan watched intently as she brought it to her mouth and took a bite. He eyed a drop of juice that had managed to drip down her chin. His mind quickly began to imagine himself leaning forward and kissing the juice from her chin.

"Logan?"

He blinked, "Yeah, darlin'?"

"Is anything wrong?"

"No, you just have some juice on yer chin."

"Oh, thank you," she said, wiping it off with a smile.

He nodded and tore his gaze away from her, popping a cherry into his mouth. _Geez, if I keep this up, I ain't gonna make it through the day, _he thought. They made idle chit chat as they ate their meal and Logan had to keep his gaze off her for most of the time to keep his mind free of exciting imaginations. When they finished, Logan leaned back and let out a sigh.

"This day has been wonderful, Logan."

He smiled and beckoned her over, "Come 'ere, darlin'. I got one heck of a view for ya."

She moved over to sit next to him and followed his gaze to see they had a perfect view of the sunset, "Oh, Logan!"

He grinned and put an arm around her, pulling her closer. She let out a soft sigh and rested her head against his shoulder. They watched the sunset like that, in silence, enjoying each other's company. When it finally grew dark and the ground's lights kicked on, Ororo raised her head.

"I never knew you had such a romantic streak, Logan."

"I got lotsa surprises, darlin'."

She gazed up at him with a relaxed smile and Logan leaned down. He gently pressed his lips against hers and gathered her into his arms. She didn't respond at first, but slowly her hands reached up to rest on his shoulders and she tentatively returned his kiss. Logan felt his heart leap at her reaction and held her tighter to him. He finally pulled back, breaking their kiss, and opened his eyes to look into hers.

"Ororo…"

She raised a finger to his lips, "Shh. Logan, please do not say anything. Let us take it slow."

He nodded and just held her.

~And so ends Chapter 3. What'd you think? I want lotsa reviews. Hopefully Chapter 4 will flow as nicely and as quickly from my pen when I get the chance to sit down and write it.


	5. Chapter 4

~Well, despite wedding plans and hoards of other things that keep coming up, here is the next installment of Bittersweet Desire. I hope you enjoy it and as always let me know what you think!

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters in anyway, I just take liberties with them without expecting any money…but maybe a few ego-stroking replies.

It had been several days since Ororo and Logan's date. Ororo had felt like she was walking on air since they had gotten back. Logan had proved to be even more romantic than she could have ever thought. She smiled to herself in one of her alone moments, _The man is nothing if not persistent._ _He has not given me much time to think about anything but him,_ she thought,_ Not that I mind._ She gazed at the vase full of roses sitting on her dresser and shook her head. He had brought her small gifts every day and stole kisses every chance he got, pulling her into his strong arms and stealing her breath away. She brought a hand up to her lips, a grin tugging at the corners. She was beginning to eagerly look forward to the next time she encountered him. She found herself smiling widely whenever she caught sight of him and her heart fluttering whenever his rough hands caressed her arms with an amazing gentleness. She smiled at her thoughts and got up, leaving her room to seek her new beau.

She found him, not many minutes later, sitting outside near the lake. She walked up behind him, shifting the wind in hopes that he would miss her scent. She smiled to herself as she got only a few steps away from him.

"Hey, 'Ro," he rumbled.

She let out a sigh and moved to sit next to him, "How did you know?"

He let out a low chuckle, "The wind don't change direction that quick on it's own, darlin'."

She smiled and looked over at him, "It can."

He nodded and put his arm around her, pulling her closer, "Yeah, but I caught yer scent before ya thought ta change them."

She laughed lightly and rested her head on his shoulder, looking out over the lake. _How peaceful,_ she thought, _I wish things could stay like this forever._ Things _had_ been abnormally quiet. It was almost making her nervous, at least when Logan didn't consume her time and thoughts. It had been months since they had heard anything from any of their numerous enemies. Many of the residents of Xavier's mansion had begun to wander around, their nerves frayed, while the others seemed to take the time to enjoy themselves as much as possible. For Ororo, it was a little of both. While she felt nervous at how long it had been quiet, she was taking every moment she could to spend with Logan. She looked out over the lake, the sunlight sparkling over it as the light breeze sent ripples along its surface. A soft serene smile formed on her lips and she let her eyes close as she relaxed against Logan's strong form. He squeezed her as she leaned against him, enjoying her comfort. He drew in a deep breath letting himself be intoxicated by her scent. The more time he spent with her, he wondered how he kept his hands off of her. It seemed like her body cried out to him to be touched, caressed, loved. He longed to do all of those things, but he knew she wasn't ready. He didn't want to chase her away, that was the last thing he wanted.

"Logan, may I ask you something?" she asked suddenly, a serious tone to her voice.

He looked into her gorgeous eyes, "Anything, darlin'."

She bit her lower lip for a moment, "When did your feelings for Jean stop?"

He smiled, _Is she worried?_ "Well darlin', in one of our near death experiences, we kissed. A pretty hot kiss, after that, it just slowly went away. She's better with Scott…"

She nodded slowly but he could still see the worry in her eyes. He bent his head and pressed his lips tenderly to hers. He pulled her to him and wrapped both of his strong arms around her. Her slender arms slipped around him as she returned his kiss, her heart pounding in her chest. He gripped her to him as he fought himself to stay proper and not to rush her into anything and finally broke their kiss. She looked into his eyes, her own half lidded with something he dared not identify. _Desire?_ They stayed, staring into each other's eyes for several moments.

_Ororo, Logan, I need you in my office,_ Xavier's voice rang out in their minds. Logan let out a growl, while Ororo's irritation was announced by her soft sigh as she pulled back. 

"I suppose we should go. It did not sound as if it were going to be a pleasant meeting," she said, getting gracefully to her feet.

"It never is, darlin'. But yeah, I suppose we should go," Logan growled out as he stood and followed her to Xavier's office.

~And so ends this chapter. In case you're wondering, I do have a lot more planned out for these two… It's just a matter of finding the time and the right words to put it to paper.


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